This proposal is a competing continuation of a currently funded Kirschstein-NRSA T32 training award in Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (DE07057-30). A primary goal of modern medicine and dentistry is to predictably restore structures that have been lost due to pathology, trauma, or congenital abnormalities. Recent advances in understanding the factors, cells and mechanisms regulating tissue function, coupled with the new technologies available for delivery of agents to sites of repair have provided the tools required for researchers to focus on designing "tissue engineered products" for therapeutic use. These efforts require an interdisciplinary approach, with involvement of biomedical researchers, engineers, and clinical researchers. TEAM (Tissue Engineering at Michigan), a Training Program in tissue engineering and regeneration, was developed with recognition of the need to train individuals in these various disciplines and of the need to ensure active exchange of ideas between individuals across disciplines. The primary objective of this training program is to provide an interdisciplinary research-intensive environment for individuals who wish to pursue careers in the Oral Sciences, with a focus in the area of restoration of oral-craniofacial tissues. This comprehensive Program has built-in flexibility, providing both short-term and long-term training opportunities as well as both basic biomedical and clinical science opportunities. Moreover, through "Core" programs, opportunities are available for cross-disciplinary and interprofessional research interactions. Specific trainee programs planned include: 1) DDS/PhD Dual Degree Program; 2) Traditional PhD; 3) Post-doctoral Fellow; and 4) Student Research Program. Trainees will be selected based on strong academic records, recommendation letters, and commitment to a research career focused in oral science, with an emphasis on tissue engineering and regeneration. Specific efforts will be made to recruit individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is a multidisciplinary program that spans across departmental and school boundaries, thus providing the student the flexibility to choose mentors across departments and campuses. TEAM involves three schools on campus, the Medical School, School of Dentistry, and College of Engineering, where in addition to the "Core" curriculum in "Tissue Engineering and Regeneration", didactic training will be provided through departments at these schools. All trainees will receive formal instruction in responsible conduct of research. The University of Michigan recognizes the importance of quality training programs and is committed to training oral scientists as independent researchers and life-long learners. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]